


Payment

by SkyFireForever



Category: Rent - Larson
Genre: Depression, Family, Friendship, Healing, Homophobic Language, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Recovery, Trans Benhamin Coffin III, Trans Mark Cohen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-03-24 19:29:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13817904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyFireForever/pseuds/SkyFireForever
Summary: Mark Cohen has a strenuous relationship with his mother, to put it lightly. Roger is sick of Mark treating his mother like she isn't worth his time, so he does his best to help mend the relationship between the two, but it isn't easy, as he tries tokeep his own relationships from falling apart.





	Payment

**Author's Note:**

> This is something I started rather spontaneously because the idea came up, so I just started writing. Enjoy.

Roger sat on the couch, strumming his guitar lazily, hair falling down his neck and tickling at the skin. He was struggling to finish writing the song he was working on, he’d started it a few weeks before. The last song he had written had been Your Eyes for Mimi and that had been a disaster. She’d disappeared again a few weeks later and no one knew where she was. Chances were that she was back on drugs and living on the streets somewhere, but no one really knew. She had just ditched without a word and left Roger alone with his guitar, again. He sighed, strumming a few cords to himself and humming a quiet tune. He shook his head and slunk into the cushions, putting his guitar down beside him. He looked up as the phone rang and went to the answering machine. 

“Mark? Mark, are you there? It’s your mother, sweetie.” Mrs. Cohen’s voice came over the phone. “I miss you.” She’d been calling on and off for months and Roger was beginning to get really sick of Mark just ignoring her. She genuinely just wanted to talk to her son and Mark continuously gave her the cold shoulder. He understood that the two of them hadn’t parted on the best of terms, Mark had described it in extensive detail multiple times, but from Roger’s understanding, Mrs. Cohen had been confused and unsure of how to respond. From what Roger had gathered, they’d had a fight after Mark came out as transgender. His mother had been confused and had said some ignorant things, but Roger couldn’t see them coming from any place of malice or from a desire to hurt. Mrs. Cohen had shown nothing but love and respect for her son and whenever she called, she never called him by the wrong name or implied that he was anything other than her son. She loved him so much and he was just a complete asshole. 

Roger watched the phone, considering picking up. She deserved so much better than Mark treating her like dirt. She was an amazing woman with a heart of absolute gold, who had helped Roger in more ways than she was even aware of. She did everything she could for her ungrateful son and Roger admired her greatly. He stood up and walked into Mark’s room, not bothering to knock. 

“Call your fucking mother.” Roger snapped, crossing his arms and glaring at his friend. “She’s been calling you constantly and you won’t even respond. Stop being selfish and fucking call her.”

Mark looked so taken aback, staring up at Roger. “Uh, what?” 

“Pick up the phone and call your mother back. Now. Come on.” He snapped his fingers and pointed to the door. 

Mark stared blankly at him. “What? No.” He shook his head quickly. “No way. Why would I-”

“Because she’s your fucking mother and she cares about you?” Roger suggested. “Because she’s a fucking sweetheart who deserves way better than how you treat her?”

“I don’t treat her poorly!” Mark protested. 

“Bullshit!” Roger shook his head. “When was the last time you called her, Mark? When was the last time you told her how you are and what you’re doing? She fucking cares, Mark.” 

“No, she doesn’t!” Mark snapped back. “She’s just trying to get rid of her guilt or some shit. I don’t have time for that and I don’t have time for her.” 

“You don’t have time for a genuinely caring human being?” Roger shook his head. “You selfish bastard. Do you realize what I would have given to have a mother like yours?” He yelled at him, so frustrated by his behavior. “She’s a freaking angel and you are so ungrateful!” 

Mark laughed humorlessly, sounding exasperated. “I’m ungrateful for not wanting a mother that still treats me like I’m six years old?” He questioned, standing up to get in Roger’s face. “I’m ungrateful for not wanting a mother who thinks I’m a dyke?” 

“She doesn’t think that, Mark.” Roger fought hard to keep his cool. 

“Oh, really?” Mark sneered. “If she doesn’t think it, why would she say it?”

“Because she was confused! Remember when you came out to me? I didn’t have a flucking clue what it meant, I didn’t know how to respond. Hell, I probably took it worse that she did!” Roger threw his hands in the air, so fucking done with Mark’s bullshit. 

“That’s different!” Mark protested. 

“How? How on Earth is that any different? The only difference was that I’m your friend and she’s your mother.” Roger scoffed, shaking his head at his friend. “And you decided to forgive me, but not her.” 

“I don’t want to talk about this.” Mark snapped, sitting back on the bed and looking away.

Roger shook his head. “Yeah, of course you don’t.” He muttered, turning and walking out, slamming the door. 

**Author's Note:**

> Do people want me to continue this? I don't know. Leave comments of feedback, what you want to see, or what you think I can improve on! I love getting feedback.


End file.
